A dilator assembly includes a blade, a tubular member defining a passage extending along a longitudinal axis, a guide needle received within the passage, a first link having a first end pivotally coupled to the tubular member and a second end pivotally coupled to the blade, and a second link having a first end pivotally coupled to the tubular member and a second end pivotally coupled to the blade.

A method is provided for determining the shape of a surgical linking device that is to be attached to a bony body structure such as the spinal column based on digitized locations of a plurality of attachment elements engaged to the bony structure. The method is implemented by a computer system through a GUI to generate an initial bend curve to mate with the plurality of attachment elements. The initial bend curve may be simplified based on user input to the GUI to reduce the number of bends necessary to produce a well-fitting linking device and may be altered to help obtain the goals of surgery.

Articulated instruments that include tools for disrupting and/or distracting tissue, and methods of using the same.

A tubular retractor securement frame is disclosed including a mounting bracket, two flexor arms, and a device emplacement oriented to receive and hold in-place a surgical tool. The mounting bracket includes an elastically deformable plate, rails extending about orthogonal from the elastically deformable plate and about parallel to one another, and receptacles facing one another in the rails which are arranged to receive a retractor arm extending from a tubular retractor at a fixed angle. The flexor arms extend from the mounting bracket adjacent to the rails. The flexor arms are positioned so as not to occlude visualization through the tubular retractor and such that applying pressure to flex the flexor arms toward one another shifts the rails to accept or remove the retractor arm into or from the receptacles, and releasing the pressure reverts the rails so as to inhibit the retractor arm from being inserted or removed.

A method facilitates the treatment of the spine of a patient by providing simultaneous access through at least a first opening and a second opening formed in the patient. For example, the method can include the acts of positioning the patient on a surgical table, providing the first opening into a posterior portion of the patient, providing the second opening into a lateral portion of the patient, inserting a first device through the first opening into the patient to contact the spine in a first direction that is transverse to the coronal plane of the patient, and inserting a second device through the second opening into the patient to contact the spine in a second direction that is transverse to the sagittal plane of the patient, where the first and second openings are accessible simultaneously, and, when the first and second devises are inserted into the patient, the position of the patient is stationary with respect to a portion of the table.

A surgical system includes a first implant support that is engageable with a receiver of a first fastener having a shaft fixed with vertebral tissue. At least one adaptor includes a first adaptor extending longitudinally along and being engageable with the first implant support. The first adaptor is oriented to releasably engage a surgical instrument to distract and/or compress the vertebral tissue. An angulation module is connected to at least one of the first adaptor, the first implant support and the surgical instrument. Surgical instruments, constructs, implants and methods are disclosed.

An assembly for remotely manipulating a patient's spine. A compressor/distractor mechanism attaches to spinal anatomy or vertebral screws on adjacent vertebrae at a spinal surgical site on a patient's spine. A flexible cable is operatively connected to the compressor/distractor mechanism and to a control mechanism. The control mechanism manipulates the flexible cable, controlling the compressor/distractor mechanism to compress or distract the vertebrae. A rotatable surgical table with a remote control can be used in place of the compressor/distractor mechanism and the control mechanism. The rotatable surgical table can rotate the patient to place the spinal surgical site in a desired compressed or distracted position, and to place the patient in a desired orientation with respect to a horizontal reference plane. The assembly permits manipulation of the spine at the surgical site via a posterior approach, while the surgeon can also manipulate the spine at the surgical site via an anterior, lateral or oblique approach.

Medical devices in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention employ one or more coaxial screw gear sleeve mechanisms. In various embodiments, coaxial screw gear sleeve mechanisms include a post with a threaded exterior surface and a corresponding sleeve configured to surround the post, the corresponding sleeve having a threaded interior surface configured to interface with the threaded exterior surface of the post and a geared exterior surface. A drive mechanism can be configured to interface with the geared exterior surface of the sleeve, causing the device to expand.

An apparatus for maintaining spacing of a cutout portion of lamina used for patient-customized laminoplasty is proposed. The apparatus for maintaining spacing of a cutout portion of lamina used for patient-customized laminoplasty includes a spacer configured to be fitted in a cutout space secured by opening in order to open a cutout portion and expand a spinal canal after a portion of a lamina of a vertebra is cut, and configured to keep the spinal canal expanded, and a plate coupled to the spacer and fixed to an outer side of the lamina, thereby preventing movement of the spacer.

A retractor tool apparatus and method of manipulation are described. The retractor tool may include one or more blades. The one or more blades may be cranial/caudal blades. The one or more blades may be a medial blade. One or more portions of the retractor tool may be adjustable.